Recent Posts
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Berries, Bird Friendly Gardens, Birds, Birds in the Garden
Singing for Their Supper: Gardening to Attract Migratory Songbirds . . .
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Shasta’ Fruits in the Garden – A Cedar Waxwing Favorite Late in summer, when tall grass sways in golden light and crickets sing long into morning, the garden begins to ripen in shades of red, orange, violet and plum. In August, migratory birds —making their way to exotic, tropical destinations— flock […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Frogs and Toads, Organic Insect Control
A Surprise Visit from the Gray Treefrog: Musical Chameleon of the Native Forest
Wait… Is That Lichen on My Chair? Luckily, I Spotted This Tiny Member of the Arboreal Choir (Hyla versicolor), in the Nick of Time! If you live in North America, chances are you’re more familiar with the springtime song of gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor), than you are with the colors and patterns of this amphibian’s […]
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Back in the Limelight Again …
The Dew-Kissed Blossoms of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ Sparkle in My Garden at Dawn A Lightly Fragrant, Fresh-Cut Beauty for the Late Summer Vase, Limelight Hydrangea Blossoms also Dry Beautifully  (Perfect for Autumn Arrangements & Winter Wreaths) By October, Limelight has Morphed from Pale Pistachio to Strawberries and Crean and on to Honey-Drizzled Cherry Hues. Come […]
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Fresh Cut Flowers, Hydrangea, Indoor Eden, Indoor Table Arrangements
Casual, Late Summer Arrangements … Shadow, Light & Texture for the Vase
The Dark Centers of Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Fine Texture of Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Play with Light and Shadow on the Early Evening Dinner Table – Â Jar from Terrain I love fresh cut flowers, and at the end of a busy week, I find there’s nothing more relaxing than a stroll through […]
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Beneficial Animals and Insects, Butterflies and Moths, Caterpillars
Friend or Foe? A Wise Gardener Knows
 Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) on Wild Carrot (Dacus carota) Fear can lead people to do foolish things. Human beings have an tendency to fear and strike out at things they do not know. At a certain level, fear is important to our survival. The human fight or flight response was designed to protect us, and […]
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Notes from the Mid-Summer Potager & A Home Remedy for Powdery Mildew …
The Verdant Hues of My Mid-Summer Potager Midsummer is a wonderful time in the vegetable garden. Daily harvests of squash, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, salad greens, herbs & fruit keep my pantry & kitchen well stocked with fresh ingredients for home-cooked meals. But the dog days can be tough on gardens, and gardeners as well. Scorching […]
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Into the August Haze …
Ladybells (Adenophora confusa) Spill, Languid Blossoms to the Lawn August is a languid month; hazy, verdant hills saturated with the weight of humid air. It’s mid-summer, and the fields are ripe. Come stroll with me through the blowzy gardens and wildflower meadow; gathering Black-eyed Susans, Ladybells and Queen Anne’s Lace for carefree bouquets. It’s time […]
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Color in the Garden, Container Gardening, Dark Plants, Euphorbias, Exotic Plants, Foliage, Garden Design, Garden Design Photos, Hardy Succulents, Paths and Walkways, Perennial Close-Ups, Perennials for Spring, Perennials for summer, Plant Spotlight, Plants for sun, Plants for Texture, Pots, Succulents, Succulents in Containers, Un-Flower Pots, Unusual Plants
Somewhere Over the Ascot Rainbow, Beyond the Sunset Clouds . . .
Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ & Sedum telephium ‘Sunset Cloud’ Catch the Morning Light out on My Balcony Oh, delicious, dynamic duo! Clearly, you can see that Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ and Sedum telephium ‘Sunset Cloud’ are a match made in heaven. But in the late days of spring, this pairing wasn’t so obvious […]
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Books, Canning, Cookbooks, Garlic, Herb Gardening, Preserving, Preserving Herbs, Putting Food By, Recipes, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable Gardening/Potager
Dilly Dallying in the Pickled Beans: An Intro to Canning with Jennifer Audette
Delicious Dilly Beans Dilly Beans: Easy Entrance to the World of Canning    Guest Author - Jennifer Audette Here in New England, a moment exists each growing season when the stars align and your local farmstand, farmer’s market or (if you’re really amazing), own garden suddenly has all the necessary ingredients for the first batch […]
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Annual Flowering Vines, Annual Flowers, annuals, Garden Maintenance, Hanging Baskets
Pots in the Garden, Part Two: Tips for Maintaining Hanging Flower Baskets…
A Tumbling Cascade of Grape & Cherry Hues: Hanging Basket by Walker Farm Ah, the seductive power of summertime annuals! With all of the lush foliage, boldly colored flowers and twisting, trailing vines tumbling from covered porches, it’s hard to deny the romance of flowering baskets. And now that we are in late July, those container-grown […]
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Welcome Home! Johnson’s Garden: Revisiting a Renovation, One Year Later
A Welcoming Garden of Color: A Hedge of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Summer Wine is Fronted by Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’, Perovskia antriplicifolia, Rudbeckia  fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ and Sedum telephium ‘Munstead Red’, Among Other Plantings Facing the Residential Street After taking an early morning stroll through a garden I designed and installed last summer, I decided the visit […]
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Light & Shadow: Sunset Color Play …
The Colors of a Summer Sunset (Clockwise from Bottom Left: Rudbeckia hirta, Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia ‘Palace Purple’, Cotinus coggygria, Fothergilla ‘Blue Shadow’, Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’, Chelone lyonii, Filipendula ulmaria ‘Variegata’, Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni Kaze’) Pale yellow, brilliant gold, violet-maroon, mauve, blue-shadow and thunder-cloud grey; the colors of a summer sunset. Stormy skies —filled with […]
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Chill Out: Refreshing Soup & Salad Days
Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze Dressing – Click Here for Recipe Post Ninety Five Degrees! That’s hot for anywhere, but it’s particularly hot for Vermont. We don’t see many 90+ days here in the Green Mountains. Yes, it looks like this will definitely be a long, hot summer. And […]
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Summer Hide Away: A Shady Nook & Dreamy Gardening Books …
Hosta Leaves in Soothing Shades of  Blue-Green and Lime Cool Things Down on a Hot Summer Day. I Love Creating Shady Vignettes Outside of Entryways. This Grouping of Shady Ladies on the North Side of My Studio Includes: Aruncus dioicus, Hosta ‘Sum & Substance’ and in the foreground, Hosta ‘Blue Ice’ A gentle rain fell here […]
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Forest Jester …
Ozzy, My One-Year-Old, Resident Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Here’s lookin’ at you kid! Every now and then, a gardener needs a bit of comic relief, and Ozzy provides plenty of laughs… I’ve always enjoyed red squirrels, but my special relationship with Ozzy has deepened my love for the species. Life is hard for young squirrels, and […]
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Wild at Heart . . .
Day Lilies from White Flower Farm’s Woodside Mix: Blazing Sunset Shades in the Entry Garden English gardens, Asian gardens, European, Cottage and Modern fusions: I create all sorts of gardens to earn a living, and I find beauty in them all. Formality and structure appeal to my love of architecture and my need for professional […]
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Keeping Cool with Lemon-Mint Sun Tea
Lemon-Mint Sun Tea in the Garden The dog-days of summer have arrived, and they sure can wear you out! Gardening is hard work, and it’s easy to over do it on a sweltering day. Digging, weeding, lifting and endlessly refilling the watering can are physically demanding tasks. When temperatures rise and the sun is strong, […]
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The Beauty of Sunlit Valerian …
From Garden to Table: Fresh Cut Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Dreamy, soft, relaxing; flowering herb valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is every bit as beautiful as it is useful. The botanical name of this medicinal herb comes from the Latin word ‘valere’, meaning to be well. Since the fourth century —and perhaps even earlier— valerian has been used […]
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Preserving Summer Garden Delights: Tips for Freezing & Drying Produce …
Homemade, Sun Dried Tomatoes – Â For Easy Tutorial Post Click Here It’s Fourth of July weekend. Barbecues are sizzling, picnic baskets are filling and fireworks fill the night skies. Summer is here at last and, as they say, the living is easy. Fresh produce flows from the garden in a steady stream and fills the […]
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Celebrating Independence . . .
Happy Birthday America! Happy Independence Day America! I’m a patriotic sort of gal, and Fourth of July will always be one of my favorite holidays —picnics, barbecues, the Boston Pops— what’s not to love? Of course for many of us, fireworks are the high point of our nation’s birthday celebration. After all, there’s nothing like […]
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July Dreams . . .
Sweet Summer Slumber… A Few Days of Quiet Repose… A Shady Spot Beneath the Boughs of a Silverbell. Perhaps a Bit of Time for a Long Overdue Tête à  Tête Hello July… You’re here already? I’ve been so busy, I nearly missed your arrival. Usually you roll in with a few claps of thunder and at […]
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